1 arrested in Addu anti-terror operation released

One arrested in an anti-terrorism operation by security forces in Addu City has been released. 

The operation was conducted on May 15 and saw a total of seven arrested. Three of those arrested were ordered to be detained for a period of 15 days under a court order. The other four were ordered to be detained for a period of seven days. 

They were presented to the court regarding their detention which was to expire soon. Home Minister Imran Abdulla said today that one of the individuals arrested was released. He added that he was unsure whether the remaining individuals would be detained any further after the court-ordered period expired. 

The Minister also said today that there were obstacles in detaining those accused of extremism. The recently passed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act gave security forces a wide range of powers, but the act still limits individuals to be detained until the end of their rehabilitation in state custody. 

Security forces are still deployed to different regions of the nation after the May 6 terror attack which saw an IED explode, wounding former President Mohamed Nasheed.